


Redress and Redemption

by Quixotic_Quetzalcoatl



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bisexual Lotor, Demi/Panro Shiro, Don’t know yet... will evolve organically, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Lotor deserved better, M/M, Shotorweek2019, Slow Burn, or Flash Flood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-08-13 23:55:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20182816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quixotic_Quetzalcoatl/pseuds/Quixotic_Quetzalcoatl
Summary: In an AU where Shiro had never disappeared from the Black Lion after their battle with Zarkon, his enduring compassion, analytical aptitude, and commanding presence would drastically alter the fate of the universe.





	1. Unlikely Ally

“He just wants to save his own skin!” came the indignant cry.

“That is quite enough,” Shiro said, having sounded out Lance and Pidge who were, in no uncertain terms, condoning Lotor’s exchange and inevitable execution. He continued, “That is simply not option. You would be violating the oath you signed when you entered the Garrison.”

“I don’t care!” yelled Pidge. “We have to get my dad back.”

“Yeah, I’m with Pidge,” Lance added. “We need to get rid of this guy, pronto.” With his thinking clouded by jealousy, Lance was revolted by the way Lotor had suggested a strategic ‘alliance’ with Allura. “And are you talking about the Geneva Conventions?” he asked, perplexed. “We’re not on earth, anymore, Shiro, those don’t apply out here.”

“Actually,” Hunk interjected, “there were new amendments made after WWIII to include interstellar warfare.”

“Lance, they always apply for anyone in uniform,” Shiro replied authoritatively. “We all have a moral and ethical obligation to treat everyone humanely. We can discuss the details later but time is short. We would not even treat POWs this way back on earth, but as I have stated before, Lotor is not a POW. He came to us on his own accord as an ally. None of us would be alive right now if it wasn’t for him. We owe him our lives.”

“Shiro, I am beginning to question your judgement on these matters,” seethed Allura. “The Galra cannot be trusted. They are the most bloodthirsty race of murderers the universe has ever seen.”

“Um,” Hunk timidly piped up, “I couldn’t help notice that you say we can’t trust the Galra. So why would you trust Zarkon to hold up his end of the deal?”

“I...” Allura hesitated and faltered, finally countering him with, “Well... I just know I don’t trust either of them. He is his father’s son.”

“We need to come up with a plan,” Shiro stated patiently, “that does not involve handing Lotor over to a murderer. Stated simply, you would be culpable of aiding and abetting murder otherwise. Additionally, I agree with Hunk and Lotor. Zarkon can and will betray us. Just as we do not negotiate with terrorists, we do not negotiate with megalomaniacal tyrants.”

“Oh, I hadn’t thought of it that way,” Pidge replied sheepishly. 

Lotor was intently watching the Black Paladin from his cell. His reputation as the Champion preceded him and his physical prowess was undeniable. Having only seen the strongest rise to the top via treachery and deceit, Shiro possessed qualities he had rarely encountered: honour, integrity, and compassion. He himself had come to earn the princess’ trust, expecting derision and disdain, but had chanced upon an unlikely ally. Shiro was gifted in leadership and after expounding a powerful argument on his behalf, team Voltron begrudgingly conceded. Lotor raised an eyebrow. The logic the Paladin had used was agonizingly elementary. 

Taking in his newfound freedom after formulating a preliminary plan, he met with Shiro on the training deck. 

“Alright, Lotor,” his new ally began warmly as he rolled his arm, “tell me again how long you were in exile.”

“It has been millennia, Paladin. Why do you wish to know?”

“Prior to your exile, how often did you see Zarkon in combat? He must have trained you himself, correct?”

The fugitive prince hesitated and furrowed his brows. He would invariably conceal his emotions but Shiro had caught him off guard just enough that an iota of rage and hurt escaped his heavily fortified defences. His steely reply revealed much more than he intended. “No, I have never witnessed him in combat.”

Shiro paused in reflection. Fully anticipating the unsolicited pity or condemnation he had so often encountered, Lotor was more than ready with a verbal riposte. 

It never came. Instead, he was once again surprised by the sheer focus his new ally exhibited. “Think fast,” Shiro smiled as he tossed over his bayard.

“You are giving me your weapon?!” he replied incredulously. 

“Listen, Lotor,” he said as he put his hand on his shoulder, “If you’ve never seen him in battle, it may be a bit to your disadvantage. So I’m evening out the odds. I’ve fought him more than once and I’ll tell you everything you need to know. The purpose of bayard is twofold; it is easily concealed and it adapts to your opponent and environment. He is heavily armoured, extremely powerful, and faster than his size would suggest. You’re going to need to change tactics during battle and I can show you how to wield it to your advantage.”

As Lotor took a deep breath in, Shiro thought the unadulterated gratitude on his face was endearing. “You... have my thanks, Paladin,” was all Lotor had been willing to admit as he turned to look away. Allura was wrong about him. There was much more to Lotor than just the colour of his skin. 

“Alright,” he continued, as he patted his shoulder, “Let’s go. Show me what you’ve got. I’m Zarkon, attack me.”

“Gladly,” Lotor smiled with equal parts exhilaration and suppressed frenzy.


	2. Unassailable Defences

With incredible agility and an elegant one-handed sword, Lotor flew toward his opponent with a flurry of strikes. Shiro easily parried each one with his cybernetic hand. “Wait, stop, stop, stop,” he objected after a short while.

“What is it, Paladin? Is this your idea of battle?” Lotor sniped, skidding to a halt. 

“Large swords are too slow for his speed; he is lightening quick and you won’t get more than one or two strikes before he puts you on the defensive. It would be ideal for a finishing blow. But they won’t do enough damage to warrant the immense effort of getting in close enough to even land a hit.”

“I cannot yet wield it properly. It will not do as I desire.”

“You’re doing better than I did when I first held it.”

“Your flattery is most unwelcome.”

“Duly noted,” Shiro sighed nonplussed. “Zarkon’s pattern of attack is predictable. His close range attacks are linear and involve little deception. He relies on sheer power to overwhelm his opponents. You are a master swordsman and are skilled in close-range combat. I bet he knows this and is counting on it. The bayard can provide ranged attacks and...”

“Do you mean this?” he asked as he brought forth a telescoping, retractable blade. Admiring its form, he couldn’t help but wonder how the Paladin knew about his swordsmanship.

“Oh, I didn’t even know it could do that. Yes, but...”

“Too slow,” Lotor replied with a twinge of disappointment. 

“It is a shield, a sword, a cannon; it adapts to your abilities and reflects and your bond. Zarkon tracked me down in the astral plane via Black, but I was able to summon the bayard away from him and claim possession. There is a chance he could similarly take it from you.”

“Summoned, you say? Interesting. It still recognizes him, then?” Lotor nodded and then with a wicked smile asked, “Tell me how I subvert this inimitable ownership.” 

Shiro chuckled. He hadn’t expected sarcasm from the austere Galran prince. 

“To tell you the truth, I wasn’t entirely sure this would work. But now that we know it does, it means that Black acknowledges you. We’ll need to do a couple things: strengthen your bond and find a way to immobilize Zarkon so you can land enough hits to incapacitate him. Does he have any weaknesses?”

“He is reliant on a massive supply of quintessence. I have seen his new armour once. It is located on his back. I shall aim to sever it...”

“And secure not just his defeat but your claim to the throne.”

Lotor nodded. He was beginning to enjoy this exchange with the Black Paladin who was sharp, strategic, and succinct. As well, the exhilaration of being accepted by the Black Lion was incomparable.

At that moment, the door burst open, and Hunk sauntered in with a tray of cupcakes. “Hey, Prince Lotor, I figured maybe you could use a little snack before you know, you uh, facecertaindeath,” he coughed. “So watcha guys doin’?”

“Hey Hunk, we were just discussing how to momentarily immobilize Zarkon,” Shiro replied.

“Easy.”

“What?”

“Two words. Food. Goo.”

“I’m not sure if you are joking or not,” his leader said suspiciously. 

Hunk shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, like, just pew, pew, pew right in the face, and squishy mcsquishface is a sitting duflax. You know you wanna,” he answered airily as he was about to leave.

Shiro laughed. “How do you propose we shoot it?”

“Assault rifle.”

“I’m not entirely convinced that would work.”

“But it could,” he emphasized, “if he was 30-50 feral hogs.”

As their inane chatter continued, and Shiro adopted a look of skepticism with crossed arms, Lotor thought furiously. With Shiro severely injured and indisposed after defeating Zarkon, Keith had assumed temporary leadership of team Voltron. Having lured them to Thayserix after planting the distress beacon, he recalled some interesting information now that Shiro had mentioned a bond with the beast. It was immediately clear then, from his tussle with the blue lion, that the deeper the bond, the more abilities it unlocked. So little information had been gleaned from the tradespeople he had rescued. Very few knew of Voltron’s true capabilities, even fewer had seen it in actual combat. All of this was new to him. The lions all have different abilities. If Blue controlled ice and sound, what was Black’s ability? Summoning suggested space and time manipulation. Astonishing but superbly useful in his current circumstances.

Nextly, the key to bonding with the beast was deciphering the difference between Shiro and Zarkon. His piercing gaze darted from the Black Paladin to the wildly gesticulating Yellow Paladin. The answer was evident. Zarkon sought power to conquer and thus viewed Black as mere chattel. Conversely, Shiro was a paragon of benevolence who undoubtedly accorded Black due respect. Lotor hummed. His deduction may not have been so quick had Shiro not demonstrated this generous display of camaraderie.

“Hunk, I appreciate your input,” he heard distantly as he regained his focus. “You know, Lotor, there were ancient civilizations on earth that used biotite mica as weapons. Although it is not a very sturdy material, it is easily cleaved into layers. Those people were able to create blades of microscopic thinness with very primitive tools. If you can hone the edge of your sword to inflict such precise damage, you’ll be able to make every hit count.”

“You enjoy the study of ancient civilizations?” Lotor asked casually as he tried to reconfigure his sword.

The earnestness of this question caught the battle-hardened soldier off guard. “Oh, uh, yeah,” he began, blinking a few times. “I really liked anthropology in college.” He watched in awe as the sword was manipulated with relative ease, from katana to wakizashi lengths. His opponent was a prodigy. But more than that, he was quite personable once he had a safe place to open up. Shiro felt choked by large lump in his throat. Lotor was not unlike many foster kids he had reached out to before. Abused, abandoned, and starved for affection. Possessed of a silent rage simmering just beneath the surface. Chaotic good. He decided to test the waters.

“Hey, don’t tell me you like exploring ancient ruins and deciphering dead languages too?”

“Indeed. I was always interested in exploring the universe, rather than conquering it like my father.”

“Did he force you to do things you didn’t want to do?”

“The reason for my exile, Paladin, was my refusal to crush a mining planet underfoot at his behest. It was a planet under my charge; in goodwill, I greatly enjoyed learning their customs and traditions as my mother’s people would have done.” Turning away, he continued, “But my father destroyed them all. I was powerless to stop him.”

Shiro exhaled heavily with disgust on his face. Though Lotor showed no emotion, it was a devastating revelation that clearly still affected him after all these years. 

“That is the most unimaginable evil I have ever heard of. I hadn’t realized just how singleminded you’ve been in taking him down after all these millennia... so it never happens again,” he said softly at the end. Shiro stopped short of saying he was sorry. He felt like it was probably not a sentiment Lotor would appreciate.

“Yes.”

“Lotor, Coran had said that the quintessence field corrupted Zarkon entirely. What is your ultimate goal? Are you trying to kill him or save him?”

There was a long pause. “I have no means of shedding his corruption. Death is his only salvation now.”

Wordlessly, they resumed their battle positions but the scrimmage itself would be short-lived. Running up against incredible cunning and renewed mastery of the black bayard, Shiro was stunned to find himself thrown to the floor, with a gleaming blade against his throat.


End file.
